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      SSW

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      SSW reviews

      High pressure, toxic management - Anonymous employee SSW Employee Review

      1.0
      19 Sept 2024
      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      They have some exceptional talent (but they all want to leave).

      Cons

      I worked at SSW for many years, and honestly, it was a draining experience. The work environment is extremely toxic, with constant pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines, which is a pathway to burnout. Worse, the goals are constantly shifting, making it impossible to get on top of things - and of course shifting means adding rather than changing. There's no regard for work-life balance, and the long hours make it difficult to sustain. The CEO has no respect for your time or your personal life and will message you after work hours on a regular basis, expecting your availability. Management is the main problem. Instead of providing support or constructive feedback, they often come across as overly critical, which just adds to the stress. It’s always about what’s wrong, nitpicking on every mistake and you have to find yourself constantly apologizing, even when it’s not your fault. There’s no real sense of appreciation for the hard work being put in, and it starts to feel like burnout is the norm. Even when something goes well, the negatives are always looked at first, even when they are very small compared to the positives. Some people get a lot out of SSW, but never for long. It's only a matter of time before people get burned out - the length of time depends on a combination of your resilience and how long the boss takes to decide to single you out for bullying. SSW might work for some people who thrive in high-stress environments for a while, but for anyone looking for a healthy workplace, I wouldn’t recommend it.

      avatar
      SSW Response
      1y
      I am sorry the job had more ups and down than it should have. And I am sorry if the feedback was too nit-picky - I know it is sometimes. Hopefully you would have said I was a good boss – I would have wished that. I feel I am positive for most work I am involved in. There is a lot to do and a lot of learning - I do give my best for everything I do. But I know not everyone thinks that. I genuinely care about the work and the team, even when things are challenging. We push back on clients and we try not to over promise. Thank you for everything. I hear your pain with deadlines – the devs mostly like the Scrum process, however I know there are sometimes deadlines with the other teams and I totally hear you. I don’t like seeing employees stressed. As an example, proposals have deadlines (SSW Sales team) and the SSW TV team deals with deadlines. Both departments have done great work and they get great jobs for the devs. Both teams have shaped the careers of many developers and in many cases turned them into stars – which has advanced their careers. Always happy to have a chat or a beer when the time is right for you. -a

      Explore other reviews about SSW

      2.0
      9 May 2022
      Anonymous employee
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Ssw gives you the chance to be eligible for quick promos

      Cons

      …but at the expense of your sanity

      1
      avatar
      SSW Response
      2y
      Hi Reviewer, I believe you have attached your review to the wrong company. We haven't ever had a contractor/employee in your location, can you please review and attach it to the correct company? Thanks for your time.
      1.0
      15 May 2026
      Software engineer
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Most of the people are very smart, kind and professional. If you're looking for string peers who know what they're doing. If you get on a client and aren't stuck working internally (very common), you can avoid most of the issues with upper management. You do get to see a fair few different pieces of technology. This is completely predicated on you getting on client work which is really hard. The company focusses on using new technology. So, touching old technology is not likely.

      Cons

      - If you love being micromanaged this is the place for you. In and out of working hours. - There is an extreme lack of integrity and lying and back channelling are common place. - It's common for upper management to ask you for information in confidence and then use that against you or another employee without your consent. - The boss is ex-technical, so you'll continually have to fight him over technicalities that he has no business making any decisions on. - The workplace culture is stated to be one of feedback and growth. The upper management is incapable of taking any feedback and will hold you accountable for doing so. - The boss is very misogynistic and mean spirited (It's very uncomfortable to be around). If you are not a white Australian male you will find this workplace very uninviting and difficult to be in. - If you are someone values continuing education, unless it is internally provided and other (external) participants are paying to be there, you will be required to pay for this and do it outside of office hours. There is no value placed on making you a better developer. - If you are required to travel for work, be warned that you may need to pay for this out of pocket and hope that you will be reimbursed. - The senior and up developers spend little-to-no time on upskilling or helping their co-workers. This is a grind culture, not a growth culture. - Since AI the company has completely lost the plot and this makes the workplace environment hostile to anyone who enjoys writing software. This includes having to write in emails whether you are using AI tooling. Additionally, you incredibly pressured to purchase AI tooling at personal expense setting you back $165+ per month.

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